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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 27 July 2022

You can theorise and speculate but you never truly know how you’ll handle a perilous situation until it happens.  What will be your first instinct and will you regret it in the aftermath?  If you’re looking for a great film on this topic, check out Ruben Östlund’s Force Majeure from 2014.  An avalanche descends on a ski resort and, in a split-second decision, a man runs safety while leaving his wife and children behind.  Suffice to say it causes a bit of tension in the days which follow!

The Forgiven isn’t as strong but it taps into the same ideas.  David (Fiennes) and Jo (Chastain) are a well-to-do British couple holidaying in Morocco.  It sounds idyllic but they’d rather not be there.  Their relationship is strained and they’ve only made the trip so as to attend the party of an old friend (Smith) who they don’t like anyway!  Their actions reaffirm the saying – money doesn’t necessarily make you happy.

Driving in the middle of the night towards their holiday villa, the car strikes a local Moroccan boy and kills him instantly.  The bulk of the film is then devoted to the way in which this couple deal with the tragic event – both in terms of their physical actions and their mental scars.  As the driver of the car and someone who had a few alcoholic drinks before stepping behind the wheel, David becomes the film’s focus.  It’s a textbook case of grief’s five stages – denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.

It’s the audience’s responsibility to size up these characters and form their opinions.  Was it a true accident or was David at fault?  Can his actions be forgiven by the boy’s family?  Does Jo have any responsibility to bear?  Should the party still go ahead?  Is it time to flee the country?  Writer-director John Michael McDonagh (The Guard, Calvary) leaves us with plenty to ponder in that the heroes and villains of this tale are not made clear.

The scenes involving Jo and the boozing party hosts/guests become repetitive but the film is at its best when following David.  Unwilling at first, he agrees to escort the body of the boy back to his home town and attend the funeral with his family.  I’ll leave it up to you to decide his reasons for doing so (guilt, remorse, forgiveness, fear) but most will agree it’s a terrific performance from Ralph Fiennes (The English Patient) who, as he often does, relishes the chance to play a complex individual.

Making the most of its Moroccan scenery, The Forgiven provides an interesting story worth reflecting on.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 19 July 2022

Released in the United States a month ago, The Black Phone arrives in Australia as a proven hit.  It has already grossed over $100 million USD at the global box-office and will turn a tidy profit.  Based on a short story authored by Joe Hill (the son of horror guru Stephen King) and directed by the skilled Scott Derrickson (Deliver Us from Evil, Doctor Strange), it reaffirms the public’s interest in a twisting horror-thriller.

Set in 1978, the story is centred on a small community in Denver where several children have disappeared.  The police and parents are clueless but as the audience, we know the person responsible is “The Grabber” (Hawke), a serial killer who is big on creepiness and light on intelligence and motives.  His latest target is Finney (Thames), a kid he shoved into the back of his black mini-van and is now keeping captive in the basement before deciding what to do next.

The story is largely told from two perspectives.  The first is that of Finney who must find a way to escape The Grabber’s clutches before it’s too late.  Introducing a splash of the supernatural, Finney is contacted by the ghosts of previous victims who offer their past learnings (what worked and what didn’t) in trying to get the upper hand on The Grabber.  The second perspective is that of Gwen (McGraw), Finney’s worried sister who has a few curious talents of her own which will help in saving her brother before it’s too late.

The Black Phone has stuff which is really good… and then other stuff which is questionable.  Starting with the positives, I enjoyed the blend of drama, horror and supernatural.  Such movies can become very formulaic (borrowing heavily from previous works) but this held my attention all the way through.  It’s got everything from simple jolt-out-of-your-seat scares… to heart-pumping escape sequences… to intriguing plot points involving the afterlife.

The film also features a superb lead performance from 15-year-old newcomer Mason Thames who goes through a range of emotions.  He skilfully portrays Finney as a shy, reserved kid who must step out of his comfort zone and harness every ounce of smarts and courage if he wants to survive.  Thames creates a character worth cheering for and this should set him up for more great roles in the near future. 

Turning to the not-so-positives, the screenplay is littered with inconsistencies and contrived moments.  It’s the kind of movie where the more you think about it, the less sense it makes.  The police detectives are incompetent, the townsfolk don’t show much interest, and there’s an overexcited private investigator who adds nothing.  Perhaps the script is to blame but Ethan Hawke isn’t particularly convincing as the one-note serial killer.  A creepier individual with a clearer agenda could have added significantly to suspense levels.

It misses opportunities to become a standout within the horror-thriller genre but there’s still enough on offer in The Black Phone to warrant your time and money. 

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 25 July 2022

There’s an oft referred saying – before you judge someone, walk a mile in their shoes.  It’s the first thought which came to mind in expressing my appreciation for Full Time, the latest drama to earn a wider release from the recent French Film Festival.  We may not personally relate to the problems of the film’s leading character but, thanks to the skills of writer-director Eric Gravel, it feels like we’re walking alongside her throughout, and this provides us with a deep appreciation of her troubled life and fragile emotional state.

Guided by a pulsating music score from Irène Drésel, the opening scenes give the film a Run Lola Run-type vibe.  We follow Julie (Calamy) as she leaves home in a small French town, drops her kids off at the babysitter, and then endures a long, frantic commute to her workplace in Paris.  She has a strong resume but unable to land the job of her choosing, she works as a maid for a 5-star hotel where the guests are as demanding as her bosses.

They’re long, long days.  It’s dark when Julie leaves of a morning and it’s dark when she gets back home.  She’s a single mum who puts up a brave face when around her two children but we, as the audience, can see how exhausting and stressful her life is.  Julie is getting no help from her ex-husband (he’s behind on alimony payments), the bank balance is dwindling, and she has few people to call upon for emotional support.  The only moment of the day where she can “switch off” is the handful of minutes when she’s put the kids to bed and relaxes in a hot bath.

There’s a glimpse of a better life on the horizon.  Julie has been accepted for an interview at a marketing company which will offer more job satisfaction and significantly more money.  However, a series of untimely events threaten to derail her chances.  This includes a public transport workers strike in Paris which brings the city to a standstill, and problems at her existing job which are putting her offside with all around her.

Star Laure Calamy won the best actress prize at last year’s César Awards for her wonderful performance in Antoinette in the Cévennes (worth a look if you haven’t seen it).  Full Time continues her run of great roles and shows her dramatic talents are the equal to her comedic ones.  She will make you care genuinely for the character and hope that a few good breaks go her way.  It’s a stressful watch though!  As she hastily rushes between locations and a sense of hopelessness builds, it’s hard not to feel the same way.

Clocking it at a tight 88 minutes, Full Time takes on an intense, memorable journey and delivers a worthy punchline.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 13 July 2022

Given it combines two of my favourite pastimes, a golf movie is both a blessing and a curse.  On one hand, these films come along so infrequently that I feel compelled to enjoy and promote whatever is served up.  On the other hand, I have a thorough knowledge of golf which makes it easier to spot the flaws and general “dumbing down” of the storyline to appeal to non-golfing audiences.  Would a guy really hit 12 balls into the water on the final hole of the US Open like we saw from Kevin Costner’s character in Tin Cup?  I don’t think so.

The above thoughts were rummaging through my head while watching The Phantom of the Open, a new British comedy-drama.  The release in Australia is timely given it’s the same day The Open Championship kicks off at St Andrews in Scotland (go the Aussies!).  I’d fleetingly heard about this crazy true story before but now it’s been immortalised into a mainstream movie for a wider group to enjoy.  Golfers will get the most out of it but that’s not to say others can’t have fun and appreciate the eccentricities of its leading man.

The film begins in 1975 when Maurice Flitcroft (Rylance) loses his long-term shipyard job and is in search of new opportunities.  He stumbles across coverage of The Open Championship on television and then has some kind of weird dream/epiphany to take up the sport, win next year’s title, and claim the victory prize of 10,000 pounds.  His first step – learning the art at home but putting balls along the carpet into a mug at the far end of the living room.

It’s farcical to think a 46-year-old man could take up a sport like golf and become the best in the world within a year.  It didn’t stop Maurice from trying though.  Despite having no knowledge of the sport and no coaching assistance, he decided to give it a crack.  When entries opened for The Open Championship the following year, Maurice blindly ticked the “professional” box on the application form which gave him in a guaranteed start in the qualifying stage of the coveted event.  What followed was one of the worst displays of golf ever witnessed!

The story has been given a thorough glossing-up by writer Simon Farnaby in bringing it to the screen.  Significant alterations to the story create faux-drama which makes you realise it’s a very, very loose adaptation of the Maurice Flitcroft tale.  I wish it was more authentic.  If you believe the movie, these qualifying rounds had big crowds and were televised, complete with insightful commentary, across the globe.  None of this is true.  The Open Championship qualifiers aren’t even televised today let alone back in the 1970s.

That said, the heart of the story is still there thanks to a strong lead performance from Oscar winner Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies).  He was one of the worst golfers to ever attempt to make it at a professional level but you grow to like the guy because of his enthusiasm and optimism.  The world keeps knocking him down and Maurice keeps getting up and marching on.  He may not have ever qualified for The Open Championship but there’s a nice footnote to the film which shows he did leave a small positive mark on the game.

With a cast including Sally Hawkins and Rhys Ifans, The Phantom of the Open is both messy and fun.

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Written by Matthew Toomey

Created: 20 July 2022

North Carolina, 1969.  The body of a young man has been found at the bottom of a fire tower in the middle of an expansive swamp.  A twenty-something-year-old woman, Kya (Edgar-Jones), is on trial having been charged with his murder.  The prosecution argue that the pair fought and Kya pushed him from the tower’s outer balcony.  With a guilty verdict likely to lead to a death sentence, Kya puts forward a different set of facts which point towards her innocence.

The trial is the most interesting element of Where the Crawdads Sing.  From To Kill A Mockingbird to My Cousin Vinney to A Few Good Men, I’m a sucker for courtroom spectacles where a seemingly weaker party tries to outsmart and outmanoeuvre the other side.  It’s not a flashy role but Oscar nominee David Strathairn (Good Night, and Good Luck) is very good as the subdued, experienced defence lawyer working in Kya’s best interests.

Unfortunately, the court scenes are fleeting.  They help maintain the film’s energy but the bulk of time is spent on flashbacks across the 1950s and 60s which serve as mini biography of Kya’s life.  We understand more about her tough childhood where she was abandoned by her mother and raised by her alcoholic father.  We learn she is looked down upon by townsfolk and referred to as “the Marsh Girl” because of her shy nature and the rundown swamp shack she calls home.  We see her fall in love for the first time with a patient teenager, Tate (Smith), who offers good looks and a kind heart.

These scenes are necessary but I’d argue they aren’t overly interesting.  It comes across as a generic romantic drama where the dialogue is stiff and the character development is unfulfilling.  Kya is an intriguing individual.  You’d expect that given she spent her teenage years living alone and learning how to fend for herself.  However, it’s a struggle to get inside her head and reconcile some of the choices she makes.  I don’t think I knew her that much better during the closing credits as I did during the opening ones.

Perhaps more detail is on offer in the novel authored by American Delia Owens upon which the film was based.  Reese Witherspoon picked it as part of her public book club in September 2018 and, sensing its potential as a movie, she optioned the film rights through her production company, Hello Sunshine.  I’ve heard it’s a good read (at least that’s what my boss says) but something has gone missing in translation with chunks of the film feeling like a corny, trashy Mills & Boon romance.

English actress Daisy Edgar-Jones (Norman People) is admirable in the lead role and composer Mychael Danna (Life of Pi) deserves credit for his seductive music score but Where ihe Crawdads Sing needed a better script to fully draw me in.

You can read my chat with director Olivia Newman by clicking here.